As of the 2 July 2012 the Canal & River Trust formally took over the 2,000 miles of canals and navigable rivers from the British Waterways Board.
John Dodwell, a trustee of the new Canal & River Trust spoke at the Alliance’s head office earlier this week to explain what the new Trust’s plans were. He said:
“Already £4m has been allocated to improve areas around the country where water can be scarce – such as the Kennet & Avon Canal, the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and the canals around Braunston.
“More dredging is being planned, the restoration of hand crafted lock gates is on-going and 22 new apprentices have been taken on to keep heritage skills on the waterways alive”.
Mr Dodwell, then went on to discuss how the Trust presented new opportunities to the Alliance’s members:
“There are so many ways to get involved in informing how the waterways in England and Wales are run. You can help by joining in its governance, volunteering, providing financial support through the Friends’ scheme and much more.
"By working together we can create an environment where all activities can flourish on the waterways”.
To find out how you can get involved with the Canal & River Trust, visit their website .
Visit the Water Recreation Division membership page to find out which organisations are involved.
Government has today formally launched a consultation on reforming the role of statutory consultees in the planning system. The consultation runs for eight weeks, closing on 13 January 2026.
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As part of the Sport and Recreation Alliance’s 90th anniversary celebrations, nine young people have been recognised as future sector leaders in a special Youth Edition of the organisation’s annual Community Sport and Recreation Awards.
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The Sport and Recreation Alliance celebrated its 90th anniversary at St James’s Palace, where members also gathered for the organisation’s 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM), chaired by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
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